In addition to providing basic information on the nature and sources of the Shari'ah, its characteristic features and how it differs from fiqh, this book explores some of the less well-known areas of Shari'ah that are seldom addressed in its commonly accessible manuals. The book thus raises the question as to how the leading classical jurists and ulama understood the Shari'ah.
Then there are chapters on the scope of juristic disagreement among the individual jurists and schools of Islamic thought, the goals and objectives of Islamic law and how the Shari'ah accommodates the concerns of diversity within unity and those of contibuity and change within the rubric of its laws. The books thus puts together a volume of essay that combine the interests of both the general reader and the more advanced student and researcher of Islamic law.